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Cards77
Senior Scribe
USA
755 Posts |
 Posted - 03 Aug 2013 : 16:55:16
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I browsed through all the organizations listed in the FR Wiki but couldn't find anything that seemed to be equivalent to the Pathfinders of that setting. I guess the closest thing would be....followers of Denier? Oghma? The Harpers? Any thoughts on this would be helpful. There doesn't seem to be anything akin to the Royal Society of Explorers. Please let me know if I am missing something. Thank you.
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Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3823 Posts |
Posted - 03 Aug 2013 : 17:07:02
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| Shaundakul's clergy and followers, maybe. After all he encourages exploration and discovery of mysteries and wonders hidden on Toril, which should fit the concept of the Pathfinder Society pretty well. |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
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Therise
Master of Realmslore
1272 Posts |
Posted - 03 Aug 2013 : 20:01:11
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An interesting question, the answer to which may depend on your specific gaming needs.
The Pathfinder Society is a world-wide organization with chapters in different cities. It has venture-captains, who assign members to missions and then collect reports for the society as a whole.
In the Realms, if you're interested in the "world-wide" aspect, definitely go with a branch of Shaundakul's clergy. After the Time of Troubles, Shaundakul expanded his portfolio to include portals - which clergy would then seek out, map, record, and so forth - just as the clergy had done for geographical locations and points of interest generally. The "Riders of the West Wind" (Shaundakul clergy) hire out as guides and rangers to travel with mercenary companies and trade merchant caravans when they must go through difficult, uncertain, or dangerous territory. For more solitary exploration (and reporting back) Shaundakul's "Fellowship of the Next Mountain" is an order of rangers and clerics who work solo, trailblazing and exploring uncharted wilderness in the Sword Coast and Moonsea regions.
For something with more local flavor, and not necessarily including religious/clergy oversight, Cormyr is known for having Explorers' Clubs. Sometimes these are real adventurers' clubs, though sometimes they are "fanciers" who pretend at being explorers but are mostly nobles and rich merchants who like to hang out and tell tall stories. One such club, in Suzail, is the very exclusive "Society of Stalwart Adventurers" housed in a giant mansion. Think of it as a sort of rich Victorian gentleman's club (which includes women, of course, because this is the Realms) where competent, famous, active, and even "partially retired" adventurers gather to discuss their exploits and trade information... in a "dinner, fine clothing, and cigars" kind of setting. They also keep records of past and current members' exploits, old adventurers' journals, and even purchase rare tomes and fund the copying of rare manuscripts in Candlekeep (and other exclusive libraries). It almost certainly has chapters in other cities across the North, some places being secret safe-holds or rooms kept rented for members passing through. And they're probably not limited just to Cormyr. Entry fees are steep, of course, and nonmembers can't just waltz in and ask to use the libraries.
And of course the (pre-4E) Harpers organization fits the description fairly well. You'd have the "world-spanning" and "captains who assign you to missions" parts, but the big difference would be that in the Pathfinder Society it's largely about exploration; in the Harpers, there's always some kind of political agenda involved with missions. In the Harpers, you'd also perhaps be sent on missions to spy, influence politics/people, or outright remove "bad" people or things in order to maintain (or improve) the overall, very general stability of all the Realms.
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Female, 40-year DM of a homebrew-evolved 1E Realms, including a few added tidbits of 2E and 3E lore; played originally in AD&D, then in Rolemaster. Be a DM for your kids and grandkids, gaming is excellent for families! |
Edited by - Therise on 03 Aug 2013 20:10:30 |
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Cards77
Senior Scribe
USA
755 Posts |
Posted - 03 Aug 2013 : 20:17:30
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| Thank you excellent reply. I now remember reading extensively about the Society of Stalwart Adventurers, but I'd forgotten about it. I think in my game, which is currently in the Silver Marches and the North would work well with Shaundakul's clergy. Thanks. |
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silverwolfer
Senior Scribe
789 Posts |
Posted - 03 Aug 2013 : 20:18:24
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| Am kind of to lazy to look it up, but one of the 3.5 underdark books has a PRC that goes around dealing with underdark travel guides. |
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The Arcanamach
Master of Realmslore
1885 Posts |
Posted - 03 Aug 2013 : 21:12:22
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| The Wayfarer Guide is what Silverwolfer is talking about. They sort of 'specialize' in teleportation magic to move people/things around. |
I have a dream that one day, all game worlds will exist as one. |
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The Arcanamach
Master of Realmslore
1885 Posts |
Posted - 03 Aug 2013 : 21:17:22
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| Just looked it up, it's on page 65 of the Complete Arcane (3e) supplement. I would mesh the class with you version of the Pathfinder Society. |
I have a dream that one day, all game worlds will exist as one. |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 03 Aug 2013 : 21:31:22
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| Myself, I was pondering if Tymora's clergy doesn't have something like this since she's kind of the patron of adventurers. Shrug. |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
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ksu_bond
Learned Scribe
New Zealand
214 Posts |
Posted - 03 Aug 2013 : 22:36:11
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| Perhaps even the Heralds may have a lose organization similar to the Pathfinder Society...I would have to re-read the section in Powers of Faerun, but I think they would work as well. |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 04 Aug 2013 : 05:03:08
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Isn't there a 'Society of Stalwart Adventurers', or some-such, in Cormyr?
Thats about as close as you'll get - those guys have been everywhere form the Sword Coast to the Hordelands, from the Great Glacier to Chult... thats all of Faerūn. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 04 Aug 2013 14:00:25 |
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silverwolfer
Senior Scribe
789 Posts |
Posted - 04 Aug 2013 : 05:31:57
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| Prime Underdark Guide |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31799 Posts |
Posted - 04 Aug 2013 : 16:06:50
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
Isn't there a 'Society of Stalwart Adventurers', or some-such, in Cormyr?
In Suzail, actually, the exclusive club for explorers and adventurers. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Therise
Master of Realmslore
1272 Posts |
Posted - 04 Aug 2013 : 16:59:40
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
Isn't there a 'Society of Stalwart Adventurers', or some-such, in Cormyr?
In Suzail, actually, the exclusive club for explorers and adventurers.
I talked about the Society above in my much earlier post. 
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Female, 40-year DM of a homebrew-evolved 1E Realms, including a few added tidbits of 2E and 3E lore; played originally in AD&D, then in Rolemaster. Be a DM for your kids and grandkids, gaming is excellent for families! |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31799 Posts |
Posted - 05 Aug 2013 : 03:11:46
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quote:
Originally posted by Therise
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
Isn't there a 'Society of Stalwart Adventurers', or some-such, in Cormyr?
In Suzail, actually, the exclusive club for explorers and adventurers.
I talked about the Society above in my much earlier post.
Ah, so you did. I must have missed that earlier, when I read Markustay's query.  |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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The Realms equivalent of the Pathfinder Society?
